Contract Marriage: Married to My Ex-Husband's Alpha Stepfather [BL]

[SERGEI]

Sergei had been good.

He had tried to. Honestly.

After the incident at the hospital, after he shot his own son, the alpha knew he was far beyond the lines of sanity. That he had crossed the kind of lines that even the deities would never forgive him for.

He had proven to be way too dangerous, driven by his own obsession and cruelty that had had him wanting to take a step back, willingly this time, and that was the craziest of things.

He knew Yaroslav would want answers as to why he had been shot or even the motivation his father had, and frankly, the barbarian didn’t have an answer for his son for the first time in what felt like forever.

He didn’t have one that was logical enough to explain to Yaroslav why he had shot his son. Because honestly, where the fuck was he to start from without sounding like a manic who ruined his son’s marriage?

He couldn’t say it was because Yaro had cheated on Katya, no.

Because then there would come the question of why his father was so caring about what Yaroslav did with his life. Hell, he had never interacted with Katya away from family gatherings and business meetings that he hardly ever attended.

Or it would be a bit hard to make Yaroslav understand.

And that evening, when he walked out of Katya’s room, Sergei went to Anya, because if there was anyone with a solution, then it would be Anya.

Anya knew what to do in every situation, and maybe if she helped him, he would find a way to explain to his only son that he had shot him for some reason.

But even the talk with Anya hadn’t borne much fruit.

Because Anya’s response was the same as it had been for the past five years. The same things that Sergei was not willing to listen to because they would mean so much for him and ruin his life, or so he had made himself believe over the years.

"You need to stay away from the kids, Sergei."

"Let them make their own mistakes. Let them learn."

"You cannot go on like this. You shot your son in broad daylight."

"You’re losing it, and you need to decide what you do because it will affect everyone."

"The only way to save yourself and the omega is to keep your distance."

Sergei had been familiar with statements from Anya, even that evening when he had gone into her apartment at four o’clock in the morning.

Sergei had not known what to do.

As always, he made a promise to Anya, like that was supposed to make the woman trust him and believe that this time, he was going to change, that he was going to listen for the first time.

But they both knew the truth.

Of course, it was more than obvious.

When it came to Katya, Sergei Moskowsky was not the most dangerous man in the room anymore. He was just a man who was not courageous enough to face his beloved.

A man who was too terrified to look at him and confess what he had in mind.

"I’ll be better," Sergei had said.

"I’ll stay away," he had promised.

And of course, Anya...

She didn’t believe him.

She had heard those words before. Seen the different looks on the alpha’s face before. There was never regret in Sergei’s face whenever he committed crimes related to Katya or anything.

And that was something they both knew so well.

That night, when Sergei bid Anya goodnight, the older woman just nodded, not saying anything. Like she already knew that the alpha was far too gone to think twice about anything. Like she was going to be roped into the bullshit again.

And Sergei?

He was a determined man.

A man who wanted to prove he could truly be better.

A man who wanted Anya’s trust, because if Anya didn’t trust his word, Sergei had nothing; he would have no one. If not just a mirror, he was looking at whenever he was tired of hearing the same old bullshit.

That night, he went back to his penthouse, and the alpha packed light.

He didn’t know where he was going.

But he knew he was going away for a while.

He needed to clear his head. He needed to remember that he was a father. A man who had a son to take care of after all, it didn’t matter if Yaroslav was eighty and too weak to walk by himself.

If Sergei was still alive by that time, then Yaroslav would still be his child.

Even until the end of time.

And he couldn’t be the father who hurt his son just because of an omega who was worth breaking every rule for.

Perhaps this was his restraint.

That was his attempt at one anyway.

But god, it was hard.

Yet he still had to try leaning into what life could be like for him.

A life that didn’t scream insanity, but perhaps the madman was always going to stay, and as long as he kept holding onto the handkerchief he had used to wipe Katya’s sweat last evening, when Katya was sedated.

Oh, Sergei.

The first week away, there was nothing that caught Sergei’s attention.

He had dedicated it to Katya even then.

He checked on Katya in his own way. He got reports from the doctors he had sworn to silence. Doctors who wouldn’t even tell Anya that Sergei had asked for the reports.

It had been a long week for Sergei because each time he was told that Katya was doing well, he didn’t believe them. Even when they let him access the Aslava hospital cameras, specific to Katya’s room, he still didn’t believe them.

Maybe because for Sergei, hearing that Katya was feeling well was just something the doctors said to make him not kill them. How was he supposed to kill the people who could make his Solnyshka better, though?

He was a barbarian, sure.

But even Sergei Moskowsky was not that cruel.

So, when the doctors told him that they had shifted Katya to his mother’s ward, the barbarian was relieved. Because at least then, he would see him frequently and try to make things better even from afar.

What he hadn’t expected was for Katya to cry one too many times during the night.

And he couldn’t even go there to comfort his beloved. Goodness, it was the hardest thing Sergei had ever done in his life.

Staying away.

Then, if the first week ended.

And like a time ticking bomb, Sergei saw Anya make her first move.

Maybe because she was angry that Sergei had packed and left, but maybe, maybe because this time, it was a test for Sergei.

The test of composure, as Sergei would later learn from the morning news. And he had stared at that channel for a long time. For way too long, even after the broadcast ended. He had stared at it in all the ways that didn’t make sense.

Still, he didn’t move.

Even when he wanted to.

Even when he wanted to shout to the world that the beautiful omega in that dashing crimson suit, the omega who looked like the greatest thing the moon had created, belonged to him.

Sergei had watched his son defend his omega, and it was also the one thing that snapped the Alpha out of his trance.

Once again, Anya’s words haunted him.

"Let the kids be, Sergei."